1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for packaging, with a tape, various on-chip electronic parts having leads such as resistors, capacitors, coils, semiconductors and the like for use in electronic devices.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As electronic devices have become smaller in size and higher in performance in recent years, more and more electronic parts are fabricated on chips. There are growing demands for packaging such on-chip electronic parts on a mass-production basis on an elongated tape with an automatic inserting machine.
There are several known methods for packaging, with a tape, on-chip electronic parts such as resistors, capacitors, coils semiconductors, and the like. Such methods include use of a paper tape with punched rectangular holes and circular feed holes or a plastic tape molded with rectangular recesses and circular feed holes. FIG. 1 of the accompanying drawings illustrates the prior art comprising a taping method employing a paper tape with punched rectangular holes and circular feed holes. The illustrated prior art is disclosed in commonly owned and still pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 518,544 filed on July 29, 1983 or German Patent Application No. P3327612.9 filed on July 30, 1983. FIG. 1 shows a composite tape (generally called a "carrier tape") 1 composed of a tape base 1-2 having parts-housing rectangular holes 1-3 and circular feed holes 1-4, both punched therein, and a cover tape 1-5 attached to the tape base 1-2. In operation, the composite tape 1 is unreeled from a taping reel 2-1, on-chip parts are inserted into the rectangular holes 1-3, a cover tape 1-6 is attached to the tape 1 in covering relation to the parts, and the resultant tape is wound around a taping reel 2-2.
The known packaging methods are however limited to only on-chip electronic parts such as resistors, capacitors, transistors, and the like, but are not effective in packaging electronic parts having long leads, such as IC (Integrated circuits) switches or semifixed rheostats. The electronic parts with long leads could be packaged with tapes by increasing the width and thickness of the tape and enlarging parts-housing holes, or using carrier tapes designed for exclusive use with respective types of electronic parts. Such methods however would be costly. Since the current trend in the electronic industry is toward the use of more and more electronic parts with long leads, there has been a strong demand in the industry for a method capable of economically packaging such electronic parts with a tape.